Hunger Pains

Beware a spinal trap: new research from the Yale School of Medicine suggests that an achy back may make you overeat. In the study, people with chronic low-back pain enjoyed pudding less than pain-free people did. The researchers also found that no link existed between how much the back-pain sufferers liked the food and the quantity they ate. This disconnect may occur because brain circuits that process pain overlap with those that register food’s appeal, says study author Paul Geha, MD. The effect is stronger with fatty foods, so keep less of them around.